


An Unlikely Match

by Lynxofthenight



Series: They Never Saw It Coming [1]
Category: Saints Row
Genre: And yes you read the paring right, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Some of you will probably recognize this from tumblr
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-08 05:23:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21230510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lynxofthenight/pseuds/Lynxofthenight
Summary: Devin's seen and done a lot of shit since joining the Saints, let alone becoming the boss and all the chaos that particular job brought. He's definitely had his fair share of dumb ideas and stupid plans.But trying to actually turn Josh Birk into a "real gangster", as the actor put it, was probably his worst idea yet. Hell it wasn't even his idea and yet here he was going along with it.This whole thing was definitely doomed from the start.(And yet...maybe there's more potential there than anyone ever gave Josh credit for.)





	1. What started it all

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Welcome to the mess I like to call my reappearance into the fandom! Some of you might recognize the Boss in the story, or my username from tumblr and yes it is indeed me, Lynx, back from the abyss of real life!
> 
> My love of Saints Row has returned and while I've also returned to my RP blog over on tumblr (hint hint go poke Skylar and Devin over there, the blog is still ashandnovels) I amazingly have motivation to revamp what I started long ago on tumblr. Aka, how Josh and Devin got together. We're in for a ride everyone, so brace yourselves. 
> 
> I took the original start that I wrote so long ago on tumblr and redid it so hopefully it flows better and makes more sense. Later chapters will be longer but since this was just a rewrite I wanted to get it done and out of the way.
> 
> Also no Beta, I die like a fool too stubborn to find one.

It all started with a simple request with a not so simple answer. 

_ 'Or, well, that isn't quite true,' _ Josh mused as he stared at the man watching him almost disinterestedly across the coffee table. _ 'It started with that press conference. That's what lead to putting this idea in my head.' _

The press conference in question, only a week ago, had been originally about the new Nyteblade season and hyping up the fans of the series. Devin had been lurking in the background of the stage as the man had apparently needed to talk with Josh about something immediately after but for the life of him Josh couldn't remember what it had been back then. He’d been busy with other things, namely the questions of the press. Unfortunately though, it had quickly devolved into an interrogation about Josh's involvement with the Saints the moment the press saw an opening. 

The disastrous bank heist had faded from minds- his own connection reduced to rumors and theories on conspiracy blogs with careful statements from his PR Team, but his more recent actions were easier to trace back to the gang. He fielded the questions as best he could but it seemed like for every question he answered the reporters had three more. 

If it hadn't been for Devin's interference Josh might still have been there even now, or at least that's how it felt at the time. The gang leader's actions had taken him by surprise then and even now it still seemed like he'd dreamed it up. It was out of character for the man as far as Josh knew and yet it still happened.

There had been one reporter who was analyzing his every answer and ripping him apart any chance they got. Josh was used to sensationalists; the reporters often trying to fluster him and make him admit something the PR department would be scrambling to cover up but this one had talent. They hid their deception behind honeyed words and talked Josh in circles so easily they must have been a lawyer in a past life. If Josh hadn't been so flustered he'd be impressed but at the time he'd only wanted to be anywhere but there. He started looking for an out when Devin made a move.

No one was sure when Devin slipped off the stage and disappeared into the crowd. For such a large and flashy man, Devin could apparently slip away from view very easily. If someone checked the coverage of the event they could probably catch the point where he moved off the stage but that wasn't the important part. What was important was what happened after Devin did that. The reporter had been starting up on another question, something about his recent ad campaign, when their voice recorder was snatched out of their hands. They'd turned around fully prepared to threaten the offender but their words clearly died on their tongue as they realized just who was standing behind them.

The Leader of the Saints simply stared at them and dropped the voice recorder on the ground. After a moment of nothing happening the asshole of a reporter went to pick it up and Devin purposefully stepped forward; the recorder was no match for his boot as Devin crushed the small device with ease. Only the fact that the reporter snatched his hand back just in time saved his fingers from getting stepped on as well. Given how easily Devin ruined the recorder it was safe to assume that the man's fingers wouldn't be in great shape either if they'd gotten caught.

To his credit, aside from destroying the recorder in the first place Devin do anything else to the reporter. He simply stared down his chest at the man, arms crossed and his disdain clear on his face. The noise began to die off as the crowd realized what was going on; eager eyes turning to the confrontation in hopes of something exciting happening to give them yet another story. Devin wasn't known for his patience but today seemed to be the exception as he didn't move. The reporter honestly only lasted a few moments under the intense scrutiny before they took the hint and left; fleeing through the crowd like Devin was going to come after them at any moment.

All eyes were on Devin as his gaze swept the crowd once the reporter was gone; the intimidating man silently returning to his spot back on the stage as the press conference resumed. The remaining questions were back on the original topic of the upcoming Nyteblade season and soon enough the conference wrapped up; Josh's manager wasted no time in ushering him out the back with Devin following sedately behind them and into the waiting limo. Josh expected some sort of biting comment the moment the door closed, a jab at needing to be rescued. Something, anything. The gang leader wasn't exactly a nice person after all.

Instead Devin had just started talking business, what he'd been waiting to talk about in the first place. For everything that had happened the talk itself was short and sweet. Devin wanted Josh to do another ad and would send along the script. That was it. No jabs about the press conference, no insults in general, just straight business. After that was done he just had the limo pull over and got out as soon as it stopped. 

And Josh was left reeling after that encounter. Between that and the press conference he just couldn't understand what Devin was playing at. This wasn't usual behavior for the Saint from what he knew and yet it'd still happened. It nagged at him over the course of the week until he could take it no more and called up the gangleader to request a chance to talk. Amazingly, Devin agreed.

So that's how Josh had gotten here, seriously considering the past week and a certain set of words he never thought he'd say and truly mean as he sat on one of the couches littering the main room of the penthouse. Devin sat opposite of him, the picture of disinterest as he stared at the actor and waited for whatever it was Josh wanted to say. It was strangely empty in the suite this afternoon but then again he wouldn't be surprised if the gang leader had arranged for the penthouse to be empty upon his arrival. He made it clear he didn't consider Josh much a threat and to be fair Josh couldn't disagree. Which just brought him back to the words he was mulling over in his mind.

"I don't have all day Birk. Either tell me what the hell it is you want or get the hell out of my penthouse." Devin's irritated growl cut through Josh's thoughts and he suppressed a shiver. Apparently for as disinterested as Devin had seemed the gang leader was reaching the end of his patience if his tone was anything to go by. Josh grimaced for a second then steeled himself for what he was about to say.

"I want you to teach me how to be an actual Saint." He continued on before he could stop himself, afraid if he paused he'd lose his nerve. "Like, a proper gangster."

The silence following his words was deafening and stretched on for long enough that Josh had to fight the urge to fidget. It wasn't often he was so uncomfortable that he'd show it but with Devin sitting silently across from him it was hard not to be. It was like sitting and staring at a predator in front of you with no hope of escape. All you could do was wait until they struck and hoped it was a fast death.

"You want me to teach you how to be a gangster." The other man's voice started flat but anger was creeping its way in. "Last I recall, the last time you tried anything properly related to gang activities it didn't go so well for the Saints."

It didn't- oh. Oh he'd forgotten about that. He didn't know the full details but the news coverage and the rumors and things the saints themselves had said...People called him shallow and such and at times he would admit there is probably some truth to the words. But he wasn't bad enough to ignore something like that, or at least not anymore. There had been quite a few wake up calls for him lately. And quite a few unpleasant realizations in a way.

"I know. And there's nothing I can do to change what I did back then." Josh nodded and was momentarily pleased to see Devin's eyes widen a fraction before narrowing. So even the boss could be surprised. "But I can at least try to make up for it. But that means more than doing ad spots on television. The public loves you, all I'm doing right now is repeating the same thing over and over to them. I want to be more useful."

"Yeah? You actually going to hold up to that or are you going to run away again the minute it gets a little bit difficult. Someone I care about has already died because of you Birk, if you want to make up for that you've got a long way to go." There's a sneer on Devin's face now and he looks tense but he doesn't look like he's about to lunge over the coffee table at Josh at least. "This isn't some fucking publicity stunt or game. You're lucky to even be alive right now, I should have gotten some payback for the bank heist a long time ago."

"Then toss me into the thick of it. Either I sink or swim; and obviously if I die, you won't have an issue with it." Sometimes he hates how good of an actor he is because he's terrified down to the core and yet here he is standing his ground in front of the most dangerous man in the city. Devin could kill him without batting an eyelash. But he's come too far to give in now. "I'm tired of being useless. I'm tired of everyone looking down on me. You keep me around because apparently I'm useful, might as well just keep it going and get as much out of me as you can. I know I can't back out of this anymore."

Devin's look was hard to read as he stared at Josh, but the anger was still there. Or rather, Devin was staring past him. He couldn't be sure what the man was thinking but not having that gaze focused fully on him was a blessing in disguise. It gave him a chance to breathe and calm his nerves as much as he could manage given the situation. It was very likely that this was about to turn very bad for the actor and he knew it.

Finally Devin seemed to come from a decision judging by the way he almost relaxed and sat back into the couch, snorting softly. "Fine. You want to be a Saint so bad I'll let you do it. But understand one thing Birk. You do any shit that puts the gang in danger or we have another ‘bank incident’ and you better hope one of the others gets to you first because I sure as fuck won't be making your death quick."

Josh simply nodded and the grin that crossed Devin's face was down right terrifying.

"Good. We start tomorrow, bright and early. And make sure you bring a gun."

Oh hell. Well. Too late to take it back now. 

* * *


	2. A Rough Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am an outright fool and made this fic the focus of my NaNoWiMo. So...chapters may come quickly, or they might not. I'm going to try to keep chapters over 5k words but as for how often I post them depends on my writing pace. If I'm on a roll I'm not going to stop that just to fidget with formatting and such.

When Devin said "bright and early", it apparently meant several hours before dawn and before anyone sensible would be awake. The ringing of his phone woke Josh disappointingly easily; his ringtone was not the sort of sound the actor could just roll over and ignore let alone sleep through. Seeing the name on the screen immediately killed any idea he had of just hanging up when he managed to fumble enough to check the screen. Hanging up on Devin would likely just make his own day worse in the end. 

Reluctantly, he answered the call.

"M'morn-mm-ing." The yawn forced its way out between his words and Josh rubbed his palm over his face in hopes of waking himself up a bit more. His gaze slipped to the clock on his end table and his focus drifted enough that he almost missed what Devin said in response. His bed was warm and the temptation to go back to sleep was right in front of him and hard to ignore.Thankfully the gang leader's tone caught his attention and he was able to focus back in just in time.

"Get up, get ready. You have ten minutes, do not make me drag you out." It was three in the morning and the gang leader already sounded annoyed. Lovely. 

"M' alright."His answer was mumbled into the pillow more than the phone itself but he assumed it was audible across the line. It took a moment for Devin's words to process and then he was left a bit more awake and quickly propping himself up with his free arm. "Wait. You’re coming here? I thought we were just going to meet somewhere-"

"Get. Ready." The order was growled and the line went dead before Josh could say anything else in response. The actor dropped his phone with a groan, flopping dramatically back down onto the sheets and staring blankly up at the ceiling. There was a moment of contemplation as to his recent life choices and the regrets he now had towards them before he forced himself to roll out of bed and head for the shower. At the very least he could start this hell day off with a bit of luxury. 

He stepped into the bathroom and started the shower, stripping and slipping in immediately. There was no shock of cold water to jolt him further awake; he had plenty of money to ensure he would always have the best possible plumbing so there were no cold showers in the morning for him. Maybe that was why Devin seemed in such a bad mood this morning, a crappy shower. Josh would have assumed Devin had plenty of money to spend on himself but maybe that all went back into being a gangster. Guns and cars and whatever type of ‘entertainment’ the gang leader had wanted for the night before. Maybe he didn’t have enough money left for a decent shower after all. Hm. It was possible he supposed. What did he know, he knew nothing about being a gangster- that’s what got him into this in the first place.

His thoughts distracted him and he lingered in the shower for longer than he originally intended. In all honestly the time limit had all but slipped his mind within the first minute, instead replaced by wondering just what a gang leader could possibly spend all their money on. Everything he came up with sounded both more and more ridiculous but also with what he’d seen of the Saints so far, more and more plausible. He distractedly stepped out of the shower and turned it off, wrapping a towel around his waist and making his way over to his mirror when a loud crash from what was likely his front door being kicked in dragged him from his thoughts and nearly gave him a heart attack. The bellow of “BIRK!” that followed shortly after had him scrambling back into his room and hastily throwing on clothes before he could even think about what he was grabbing and rushing out of his bedroom.

Even then he wasn’t quick enough for Devin’s taste it seemed. He very nearly ran into the Saint’s leader and instinctively scrambled back a few steps at the sight of the other man’s expression. It wasn’t the angriest he’d ever seen him but that didn’t mean he wanted to run face first into him looking like that. Devin’s expression darkened at the sight of him but the man said nothing as Josh took a page out of his own book and simply acted like he was calmer than he was to hide his racing heart. “Well. I don’t suppose you left my door in one piece then.”

His choice of words was a mistake judging from the deepening frown on Devin’s face. Really, didn’t the man know how damaging it was to someone’s looks to frown so much? Such a shame too, the leader of the Saints was fairly handsome in his own right. Dark purple dyed hair, definitely in shape judging by how his clothes fit- enough to get an idea though the man could do to get some slightly better fashion sense, surprisingly striking blue eyes and only a few faint scars marring his face; it really was a shame the man didn’t think of doing something else like modeling or anything not criminal related. Not that Josh would dare mention that out loud. He’d said something similar to Shaundi once and nearly ended up shot because of it. He had no doubt Devin would actually go through with it.

“Don’t run late and there won’t be property damage.” Devin’s tone was so bland that Josh had a hard time picking up if he was being serious or if that had been some sort of joke. He really wasn’t sure which one he actually wanted it to be when it came down to it. 

“Right. I’ll keep that in mind.” His attempt at a charming grin fell flat rather quickly and Devin just turned and walked back the way he came. Josh followed after him but rather than leaving the penthouse the actor was surprised to find that Devin led him to his kitchen, where Josh immediately cringed a bit to see a rough looking duffle bag sitting on one of his countertops. He supposed that was better than seeing what Devin did to his front door right now. “Uh-”

“Shut up and sit down Birk.” Devin didn’t even look at him as he collected the bag and moved it to the table just off to the side, putting it down with far more care than Josh was expecting. The Saint wasted no time in unzipping the bag as Josh settled in one of the few dining chairs he still had out from the last dinner event he’d hosted and the actor didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was that Devin had brought with him. The saint pulled out a gun and swiftly checked it, then promptly unloaded it leaving the magazine and bullet that had been chambered next to him and let the slide snap back into place as he held the now unloaded weapon. “Have you ever dealt with a real gun before? Not the repainted toy bullshit they use for movies?”

“Uh, a few times. I’ve done a few gun safety courses.” Surprisingly his words didn’t earn him any sort of negative reaction. Devin just nodded and turned the gun over a few times before setting it in front of Josh. 

“Disassemble it.” He said, as if it was the simplest thing in the entire world. And maybe to Devin it was. “I’m not handing you a gun again until I’m sure you understand what the fuck you’re working with.”

Josh stared at him for a moment before turning to the challenge literally set in front of him. It’d been so long since any of his gun safety courses, something he’d done at the beginning of his career to look more appealing to directors; easier to work with someone who knew how to at least hold a gun correctly even if it was fake. It seemed that was something that held some truth with gangsters as well. 

Picking up the gun he was surprised by how light it was. Then again the bullets probably held some weight themselves and having the magazine out lightened the load. He fiddled with the slide, trying to mimic what Devin had done and lock the slide back. It took a few tries but he got it. From there it was a little bit like riding a bike you hadn’t rode in twenty odd years. A lot of fumbling and some moments of failure but still doable. Eventually. 

Having Devin staring at him the entire time really wasn’t helping either. He could literally feel the other man’s eyes on him as he worked but yet he didn’t say a word. He just leaned against the edge of the table and watched. It was incredibly unsettling and the times he fumbled were just made worse. 

Finally he managed to remove the spring and set the mostly disassembled gun on the table. Josh didn’t quite look to Devin for approval but he did look to see if there was going to be any other sort of instructions. He was met with a raised eyebrow and something Josh swore could almost be surprise. “Done.”

“Well then. You did better than I expected.” Devin chuckled faintly but the sound wasn’t warm. But it wasn’t hostile either and Josh would take that as a win for now. “You are more than just talk it seems. Now put it back together.” 

Honestly Josh had figured that would be the next step. It made sense after all, it was pointless to dismantle a gun and not know how to put it back together correctly. That was easier to do than taking it apart simply for the fact that he was just doing everything in reverse now. He knew where all the parts had to go so it was just a matter of fitting them all in correctly. It took far less time than before and when he was done Devin took the gun back and inspected it before nodding and setting it aside only to pull out a different pistol from the bag and unload that one before setting it in front of Josh. 

The process repeated again and again for several different types of pistols until Devin ran out of guns to hand over and by the end of it all, Josh's fingers were aching. Repeatedly flicking small switches and prying small parts out of tight spaces took its toll after a while but he bit back the urge to complain. He’d asked for this, right? And so far he seemed to be on something of an approval streak and ruining it now would be a shame.

“Hm. If all else fails, we can always use you for maintenance in the armory. So I guess there’s some value to you yet.” Devin swiftly reloaded and chambered a round in each gun, only pack them back away immediately after. “You were actually quick enough that we can go get something to eat before we hit the firing range.”

Josh threw the Saint an incredulous look at his words. “Wait- we’re not done?” Somehow through all of this the idea that they’d be actually shooting hadn’t crossed his mind. He figured this was just some sort of test and then Devin would be done with him for the day afterwards. “I have shoots to get to later today!”

“And I don’t give a fuck about those. Remember Birk, you wanted to be a real Saint; which means you answer to me first.” Devin snorted and shouldered the bag. “So if I say I want to go shooting after breakfast, we’re going fucking shooting after breakfast. Have to see if you did all this back up right after all.”

There was a protest on the tip of his tongue and Josh just bit it back. He wouldn’t win anything by arguing now, that much was clear. Devin was already walking out of the kitchen and Josh quickly got up to follow him into the main room; finally getting to see just what Devin had done to his front door. 

Frankly it was a mess. Devin must have kicked it in because the wood was warped next to the handle and there was a hole in his wall where it impacted after being so violently opened. Of course, he should just count his blessings that Devin hadn’t simply blown the thing up. But that did bring up one big question.

“Wait. How did you get past security?” He’d picked this apartment for a reason, the security and building staff were used to high profile tenants and were frankly great at keeping the more ‘dedicated’ of the fanbase out of the building and people’s apartments. “You didn’t kill-”

“For fucks sake Birk. No. I didn’t kill anyone.” Devin shot a glare over his shoulder before Josh could finish his question. “You aren’t going to get kicked out of your cozy little apartment.”

“I wasn’t worried about that!” The actor gestured wildly back towards his broken door and continued. “What if some fan did the same thing you did to get in? Some of them are crazy!”

“If you’re worried about preteens with vampire fetishes coming after you, maybe you should think about retiring, eh Nyteblade?” Devin sneered and lead the way to the elevator and impatiently tapped the button to bring it up to their floor. 

“That’s not the point!” His words were definitely laced heavily with a whine but at this point he didn’t care. “I just- I want some privacy and it’s kind of hard to get when apparently anyone can just come up to my floor and kick in my door!”

The only answer he got was a snort as the elevator made it to their floor. With a soft chime the doors opened and Devin didn’t hesitate to step in and press the button for the lobby, leaving Josh to reluctantly follow him in. Devin stood in the direct center of the elevator which meant he was left to lean awkwardly against the railing in an attempt not to get too close just in case.

The ride down to the lobby was both blissfully silent and horribly awkward. Josh was still annoyed about his door and invasion of privacy now that he had time to actually dwell on it but at the same time he had a feeling he was getting on Devin’s nerves again. He wasn’t sure if it was just that easy to do or if it had something to do with him being the one talking but he wasn’t going to push his luck. The other man was literally holding a bag full of loaded guns and contrary to what many thought, Josh did a self preservation instinct and it was telling him it was time to shut up now.

Thankfully the elevator reached the ground floor before any attempt at conversation was made and Josh followed Devin out and through the lobby. The receptionist looked up to bid them a good day, the sweet woman did her best to greet any tenants who passed by her, and quickly did a double take. It was clear she hadn’t expected to see them together and Josh couldn’t blame her. 

“Ellen, send someone up to fix Birk’s door while we’re out.” Josh shot a wide eyed look at Devin at his sudden words. The receptionist, Ellen apparently, sported a very similar expression. How in the world did Devin know her name? Josh had lived here for years and he didn’t even know her name...but then again had he ever asked? Surely he had, she’d been the receptionist there since he moved in.

“C-certainly Mr.Ashwood. Is there anything else?” The woman overcame her shock and wrote the maintenance order down quickly to handle a bit later. Wait- Mr. Ashwood? She knew Devin? Devin’s last name was Ashwood? What the hell was going on here.

Josh was still staring as the gang leader took out his own wallet and handed the woman what looked to be a few hundred dollar bills. “Treat yourself to a good lunch and have some fun tonight, on me.”

“Oh Mr.Ashwood I can’t accept this-” The woman tried to refuse the money but the gang leader just shook his head and purposefully set it on her desk and walked away. They both stared after him for a moment before Ellen gathered up the money and tucked it away and Josh scrambled to catch up with Devin yet again.

“You know the receptionist?” The question was blurted out before he could stop it as they stepped out towards the street and the glaringly purple Bootlegger parked down the way. And partially on the sidewalk. Right, make comments about shitty parking later, get answers now. 

“I own the damn building Birk. I would hope I know the receptionist.” Wait what.

“Wait what.”

“You do realize that taking over an entire city does include owning property in it, right Birk? I own the building. And most of the other buildings in the city. Only a few places still haven’t given in.” Devin slipped his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the muscle car once they reached it and tossed his duffle bag into the back seat. “Which means every time you run late I will just kick your door in again happily. My building, I can cause as much property damage as I want.”

That was...news but honestly in a way Josh probably should have expected that sort of answer. The Saints never did anything by halves after all. Josh slipped into the front passenger seat as Devin got into the driver's seat and immediately pulled out onto the road the moment the engine was started. The man didn’t even bother to look at the flow of traffic and ended up cutting in front of someone who immediately laid on the horn angrily behind them. Devin’s answer to that was rolling down his window and flipping them off even as he sped up and wove dangerously through cars as they drove down the street. 

The ensuing drive was nothing short of the most terrifying experience Josh had gone through to date. Forget anything else, being stuck in a car with Devin at the wheel was a nightmare. The man had no respect for traffic laws, no surprise there, and more often than not some other drivers unlucky enough to be on the road at the same time as the gang leader had their car knocked out of the way so the man could get by. Somehow through it all Devin managed to not hit any pedestrians but Josh was chalking that up to a miracle rather than it being actual skill.

Even the brief stop in to a drive through for some breakfast didn’t help. Devin didn’t offer to get Josh anything, and frankly the star wasn’t sure he could keep anything down at the moment anyways, but the brief stop just made things worse when Devin pulled out onto the main road again. It was like a moment of peace and salvation being cruelly ripped away in a squeal of tires and the smell of burnt rubber. 

Thankfully they weren’t driving for long before Devin pulled up in front of one of the larger Friendly Fires in the city and turned the car off again. Josh was absolutely frozen in his seat, hands gripping the center console and the door with a white knuckled grip. Devin got out of the car and retrieved the bag from the back seat and only then did Josh start to move. He got out of the car rather stiffly and took a second to just enjoy the fact that he was standing on solid ground again, before looking around for Devin and finding the gang leader waiting for him with a raised eyebrow over by the door.

He threw the man a shaky grin and earned an eye roll for his troubles as Devin entered the store. Josh followed behind him, as had been the trend so far today, and was promptly lead to the back section of the shop and through a door that lead to an indoor shooting range. Devin dropped the bag on a bench and promptly pulled out one of the guns from earlier and set it at one of the stalls to shoot from. There were a few targets already set up down range but other than those he couldn’t see anything else they’d need. “Where’s the ear muffs and glasses?”

“You’re not going to have time for any of that on the streets Birk. You’re going to have to learn to live without it. Unless that’s asking too much for you.” The familiar, mocking, tone was back again and Josh was getting very familiar with the small prickle of annoyance that cropped up every time he heard it.

“Would it kill you to call me by my first name?” Josh snapped and stepped up to pick up the gun. He checked that it was still chambered and upon finding it was he promptly aimed down the range at the nearest target. The gun felt awkward in his hands, far used to holding a prop sword or bulkier gun prop instead of a pistol like this. He aimed down the sights and managed to line up the target, right before he found the gun snatched out of his hand and the cool chill of the metal barrel being pressed up against the underside of his jaw before he could even process what had happened.

“Bang.” Devin held the gun there for a moment longer before stepping back and placing it back on the counter of the stall. He took in Josh’s wide eyed stare for a moment before sighing rubbing a hand over his face. “Your grip was absolutely shit. Hitting the target doesn’t mean jack shit if you can’t keep hold of your gun. Either someone can take it from you easily, like I just did, or you’ll end up dropping it or jamming the slide and hey look at that, you’re dead then too.”

It took the actor a minute to recover before he managed a shaky nod. “O-okay. So- uh. Hold it tighter. Right. Any other tips? Or um. I...might need a minute.” 

“Here, watch how I hold it.” Picking up the gun again and making sure Josh was watching, Devin aimed down the range and lined up the target. He usually preferred dual wielding pistols but for the sake of this he had both hands on the weapon instead to show off a better grip. The sharp crack of the shot rang out and a neat hole appeared in the center of the paper bullseye farthest back on the range. Satisfied with his shot the gang leader set the pistol back down and crossed his arms. “Did you see the difference?”

“I think so?” No, no he hadn’t. Devin had just picked up the gun and shot it, he didn’t see anything special about how he’d been holding it. As it was he was just trying to clear the ringing from his ears at this point. Not having earplugs to do this with was rather unpleasant.

“Then give it another go.” Devin stepped out of the way to give him room and Josh still eyed him warily as the actor went to pick up the gun. He really didn’t want another instance of having the gun turned on him, thanks so very much. It didn’t look like Devin was close enough to grab it right away again at least.

The gun still felt awkward in his hands and trying to mimic what he thought Devin did made it worse. He tried to find something that seemed both comfortable and tight enough but nothing worked. Getting fed up he tightened his grip on the gun in the best position he could find and went to aim at one of the targets when Devin interrupted him again.

“You’re still holding it wrong.” Thankfully this time the gang leader kept his interruption to just words. It didn’t stop Josh from jumping a little bit however.

“Well, I can’t find a good way to grip it. Nothing that feels comfortable.” Josh lowered the gun and looked over at Devin properly. “It just feels awkward.”

“It’s going to feel awkward because you’re used to those damn toys.” Devin rolled his eyes again. “And not every gun is going to fit every hand. But you’re still holding it too low.”  
“Okay fine. How’s this?” Josh adjusted his grip to higher on the gun. It felt more secure at least, he’d give Devin that. 

“Still wrong. You shoot like that and the slide is going to catch your thumb as it resets. It’s not a fun feeling.” Devin reached out and Josh’s grip on the gun instinctively tightened. “Oh for fucks sake I’m not going to take the damn thing from you again. Obviously I just have to do this shit for you since it seems impossible for you to grasp.”

“Hey- I never said I couldn’t get it! Just that it’s- no that’s even worse!” Despite his complaints the actor didn’t do much as Devin held him steady with one hand and rearranged his fingers and hand placement with the other. 

“Try that.” Josh grimaced and went to shift his fingers back to a more comfortable position; the attempt was stopped from a displeased ‘tsk’ from Devin however and Josh reluctantly moved back to how he’d been holding it after Devin’s help. It still wasn’t comfortable but it was better than what he’d been doing previously. For the third time the actor aimed down range and for the first time he wasn’t stopped before he pulled the trigger.

The shot echoed in the room and Josh winced immediately afterwards. It was a lot to get used to without ear protection. Still, he hadn’t dropped the gun at least. Unfortunately while he could count that one as a win when it came to hitting his target he had definitely lost there. The paper bullseye was immaculate despite Josh aiming right at it when he shot.

“Well. Can’t say I was expecting better than that.” Devin chuckled, the sound barely audible over the fading ringing in Josh’s ears. “Right before you shot, you dipped the barrel down. But if you were aiming for the ground then you definitely got that.”

The other man’s tone had Josh bristling. “Well not all of us can be perfect shots like you. Besides, I’m just warming up.”

“That’s years of practice for you Birk. But if you think you can prove me wrong then go ahead. There’s still fourteen rounds in the gun. Hit with the majority of them and I’ll admit I judged you too fast.” Devin let a smirk settle across his lips as he finished. It was clear he wasn’t expecting to be proven wrong.

“Fine then, I’ll do exactly that.” Josh squared his shoulders and raised the gun again, fixing his grip when he noticed his fingers had drifted, and took another shot down range. He tried not to tip the gun down when he fired but he definitely blinked at the same time and he had a feeling that didn’t help his aim. He didn’t stop to look too hard at the target and just aimed again, shooting before he lost his aim. 

Each shot came faster and faster, the gun growing more comfortable with each discharge. He kept his attention on the target but did his best not to focus on the holes in it, or lack thereof as he continued firing. 

Josh lost track of how many he had shot, only stopping when the slide stayed open after the last bullet had been used. He blinked and stared at the gun in his hands in confusion before it registered that he was out and his eyes darted back up to the target to check how well he did. If Devin was saying something he couldn’t hear it over the ringing in his ears, but the important part was that he could see that he’d hit it. Three times- wait maybe four, an edge of the target was ripped like something had torn it but it was too close to tell if he’d only brushed it or actually shot it.

But still. He’d hit the target. He’d actually hit it. More than once at that!

A sense of satisfaction washed over him. Sure it wasn’t much but it was better than anyone probably expected from him. Had to be better than what Devin had thought he’d do given the way the man had challenged him. 

Speaking of the man, when Josh looked back over at him he was wearing a peculiar expression. To the actor it really didn’t look like Devin knew how to actually process what he just saw and that smug bit of satisfaction grew a bit more. Throwing the gang leader for a loop was quite enjoyable.

“Well, better than you expected, right?” He couldn’t keep the grin off his face even if he tried. 

“Better than I expected.” Devin admitted grudgingly. His expression shifted back to something more neutral before he actually looked at Josh. “Still wasn’t half of them though.”

“What? Oh come on. I still hit it! That’s better than you were actually expecting and you know it.” Josh’s grin dimmed. He wasn’t expecting the gang leader to compliment him or anything but couldn’t he have *one* win?

“Sure. I’ll give you that.” A small tip of the head and Devin continued, “but if you want to impress me you’re going to have to improve from here. Three or four hits out of fifteen doesn’t really give you good odds in a firefight. So, reload and do it again. There’s mags in the bag.”

“I would hope you’re not going to throw me into a fire fight any time soon.” Josh moved back to the bag and started digging through it for the mags in question. Thankfully they were in a different pocket than the rest of the guns so he didn’t have to go digging through those as well. He snagged two mags and moved back to put one down at the shooting booth and reloaded the gun in his hand with the other once he figured out how to remove the spent magazine.

“Oh hell no. I wouldn’t trust you in one of those anytime soon at all. But if you end up in a situation where your security or something is useless now you know how not to shoot yourself in the foot.” Devin snorted. “When you can hit the target reliably I’ll think about actually giving you something more exciting to do.”

“I think I’m quite content right here, thanks.” As much as he wanted to be treated better, the idea of actually going out and committing crimes was not one Josh was outright a fan of. But he knew the two went hand and hand with being a Saint and he’d gotten himself into this of his own volition. And frankly anything that kept him out of Devin’s car while the man was driving was a blessing. 

“Mhm. We’ll see how long you last before you get bored. Aim for the left target this time.” Devin instructed before he shifted to give Josh a bit more room. His eyes were more on Josh than the target itself but he didn’t seem to find anything wrong with what he saw considering he didn’t interrupt Josh before he started shooting again.

The only improvement this time was that Josh managed to land four shots solidly on the target instead of three and a glancing blow. Devin didn’t say anything as Josh reloaded once more and went again so the actor figured he was doing everything right. After that things went much like they did back in Josh’s apartment. Devin had him constantly reloading and shooting, only occasionally pausing for the gang leader to swap out the targets, and went until Josh’s arms were stiff and sore from constantly holding the gun aloft. 

When Devin finally called a halt to the shooting after he finished off his most recent mag, Josh gratefully dropped the empty gun on the shelf at the stall and let his arms rest at his sides. He was hungry, sore, and in a sore need for another shower and the actor was fairly sure it wasn’t even noon yet. “Are we done?”

“For today.” Devin made his way over to the bag and collected some of the empty mags and put them back in, leaving three out and on the bench. “That gun is yours. So clean it, keep it loaded, and always have it with you. These mags are yours too.” He nodded to the ones set on the bench though Josh noticed one was actually loaded, “Get some ammo before you leave here and reload the rest of them.”

“Right.” Josh nodded, just thankful for the fact that they were done. He could probably get some lunch before he had to meet with the director of the latest installment of Nyteblade. Something about a possible movie deal or something like that, at the moment the details were just escaping him.

“I’m busy tomorrow but I expect you to come here any day we don’t to get at least an hour of practice. I will hear about it if you don’t, so don’t make me have to break down your door again and force you out here.” Devin warned and Josh had no doubt he’d do it. 

“Okay, okay. Shooting practice every day. Anything else, Boss?” The quip was supposed to be sarcastic but it just slipped out like a regular sentence. It at least threw Devin for another loop for a moment before he responded.

“No. Get the fuck out of here already.” The man scowled and Josh hastened to do just that. He collected his gun, switched out the empty mag for the full one left for him, then picked up the mags and made his way back the way they came. He did actually stop to get more ammo at the counter, as well as a bag to carry everything in so he wouldn’t have to go walking down the street carrying all that in plain view. Last thing he needed was pictures of that to end up all over the internet and have to deal with his PR team right now.

Devin didn’t follow him out, which was a bit of a surprise and meant he had to call his driver to come pick him up instead but that was okay. He’d take a five minute wait over Devin’s driving again any day. By the time he was done buying everything his driver was waiting outside and he was free to slip into the back seat and relax properly for what felt like the first time this entire day. A glance at his phone told him it wasn’t even noon yet and he groaned, flopping back into the seat and rubbing a hand over his eyes. 

“Where to Mr.Birk?”

“Take me to the first fast food place you find, I don’t care what. I just need a burger.”

His driver made a sound of agreement and carefully pulled out into traffic as Josh wondered yet again just what he had been thinking, getting into this entire mess. This was only day one and he was already at the end of his rope and they’d barely done anything.

How the hell was he supposed to make it through whatever else Devin had planned?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, getting these two to work with me is like pulling teeth. I'm so used to their future-selves who get along and everything that coming all the way back to here is awkward as all hell. Expect the next few chapters to be iffy, until I get a bit further along nothing is going to flow very well honestly.
> 
> Speaking of...now I need to decide if I want to do a chapter for Devin or stick with Josh. Hmmm.

**Author's Note:**

> So there we have it. Let me know what you think of it, yeah? Reviews and likes motivate me, not going to lie, but I'll do my best to keep updating regardless.
> 
> I plan on this being a pretty long thing but it really depends on what the boys themselves want to do because frankly while I have vague plans for the rest it's the details that they're in charge of. 
> 
> Ideally I'll update at least once every two weeks but please don't hold me to that. I'm about to go through a big move and such- we're moving states to a place where jobs might be iffy for a bit thus a lot of stress for the next...month at the very least, but I'll try my best!


End file.
